SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has recorded the registration of 17,315 street vendors under the Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi PM SVANidhi scheme, with loans worth Rs 50.83 crore sanctioned and Rs 48.18 crore disbursed so far, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs informed the Lok Sabha.
The figures place the Union Territory among the smaller but steadily participating regions in the national street vendor credit programme, which aims to formalise livelihoods and expand access to institutional finance for urban informal workers .
The data was shared in response to an unstarred question on the role of State governments and Urban Local Bodies in implementing PM SVANidhi. In Jammu and Kashmir, Urban Local Bodies have been tasked with identifying street vendors through surveys under the Street Vendors Act, verifying applications, issuing Certificates of Vending or Letters of Recommendation, and coordinating with banks to facilitate loan disbursal.
The Ministry said State and UT administrations regularly monitor the performance of ULBs and lending institutions to ensure timely credit delivery.
At the national level, a total of 68.89 lakh street vendors have been registered as beneficiaries under PM SVANidhi as of November 19, 2025. Loans amounting to Rs 15,462.33 crore have been sanctioned across States and Union Territories, out of which Rs 14,595.47 crore has already been disbursed. Uttar Pradesh leads in absolute numbers with nearly 14 lakh beneficiaries, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, each crossing eight lakh beneficiaries, reflecting both the scale of urban informal employment and administrative outreach in these States .
The Ministry also informed Parliament that since the inception of the scheme, 24.69 lakh street vendors nationwide have successfully availed a second loan cycle, indicating repayment capacity and repeat credit access. However, no UPI linked RuPay credit cards have been issued under the scheme so far, despite earlier announcements linking digital payments to vendor empowerment.
In Jammu and Kashmir’s neighbouring Union Territory of Ladakh, 464 beneficiaries have been covered, with Rs 1.51 crore disbursed, highlighting the limited but present penetration of the scheme in high altitude and sparsely populated regions.
Officials said PM SVANidhi continues to rely heavily on the effectiveness of Urban Local Bodies, which act as the first point of contact for vendors. Their role includes handholding support for loan applications, resolving documentation issues, and liaising with banks. The Ministry maintains that strengthening ULB capacity remains critical, particularly in regions like Jammu and Kashmir where urban vending is closely tied to tourism, seasonal trade and local markets.
